FR. THOMAS D'MELLO, SVD

Born on the 29th of April 1954 in Belvai, India, Thomas D’mello entered the SVD Minor Seminary in 1967, did his juniorate from 1971-73 and his Novitiate in 1973 and professed his first vows in 1975. After his pastoral year in 1977, he had a break in his formation programme and went to the University to do a B.A. programme where he distinguished himself with a distinction in Accounting and Auditing. Having worked in the accounts department of TATA Company for a short time, he yielded to the call of God to the priesthood and so returned to the Seminary to do his theological studies after which he professed his perpetual vows in 1982 and was ordained to the priesthood on the 12th of May 1983.

Arriving in Ghana on the 1st of December 1983, he was assigned to Cheriponi where he shared his missionary life with the people for ten years after which he was called to serve as a Provincial Treasurer, a post he held till 1999.

Thomas, who was an Assistant Parish Priest at Osonson, in the Accra Diocese was voted to serve on the Provincial Council of 1999-2002 as Admonitor. In 2002-2005 he was elected vice Provincial of the Ghana Province while still serving as a Parish Priest at Asutsuare untill 2006 when he was appointed as the Manager of the Catholic Book Centre in Accra; he worked there until his election in 2008 as the Provincial of Ghana. Thomas has just been re-elected and appointed this year, 2011 to serve a second term of office as the Provincial of Ghana for another three years.

Thomas has seven brothers and three sisters one of which is a Carmelite Priest and works in a Parish in Pisa, Italy. According to Thomas, he loves being in any SVD Community, where he can read and watch sports on TV especially those involving the Black Stars of Ghana.